All about the flavor of a small mountain city and the surrounding outback: neighborhood surprises ... wildflowers and nature ... the forest ... people and events ... plus occasional comments on science fiction, music, and the Great Wide World Beyond

Thursday, October 01, 2009

Raised garden bounty

Two different friends installed raised garden beds this year -- I could become quite envious as I picture myself weeding while standing up. Besides, look at that tomato jungle at the right hand end (above). The jungle below is likely just one watermelon vine quite at home in a different raised bed, this one next door.

Here's the situation as of August 12: two wee fellows, more the size of large gooseberries than what you expect to eat at a picnic. FYI, that's a hand in the lower right of the picture below, just to give an idea of the size.

Time passed; I took pictures again on Sept. 15; the melons are beginning to grow up.

September 29, my neighbor held up one of the watermelons to show the bald spot, which he has been told is one indication that picking time is almost at hand. My crop this year: the four small cherry tomatoes that were not eaten (along with the foliage) by the javelina. But then I don't have a raised garden, which might discourage the little porkers. I don't even know where I'd put one on my hillside!

Linkage: After I published this post about mini-agriculture, I chanced to visit artistic, mild-mannered Lucy, who lives a quiet life in Brittany (France). Lo and behold, a rant. About French agricultural policies, factory farming and how the seacoasts in her locale are ruined by the heavy fertilizer/nitrogen runoff. And so she demonstrated against seaweed.

Oh thanks for the link! And I am very happy to be generally perceived as artistic and mild mannered!

Those raised beds look good. We've used them for several years, but now find the wood is collapsing, and keeping the soil fertile is not quite so easy. They are easier for bending though, and somewhat easier for weed control.